Deception by Christiane Heggan Read Free Book Online Page A

there.”
    “You haven’t heard the rest of my terms yet.”
    Olivia studied Mulligan’s dark, hooded eyes. What he was asking was out of the question. It was much too risky. Almost sadly, she glanced at the bulging envelope. “The answer is still no.”
    “You’re making a mistake, Olivia. You see, the ten thousand is just an incentive. If I get the job, which I expect to do with your help, I’ll give you ten percent of my profits.”
    Olivia did some quick math. The hotel construction job was expected to bid for five million dollars, and would earn the contractor a fifth of that. Ten percent of a million was a hundred thousand dollars.
    “It gets better,” Mulligan continued. “With every job I get from B&A through you, I’ll keep paying you the same fee.” His glance wandered toward the casino floor. “Just think what you can do with that kind of money.” His eyes gleamed as he waited for her answer. “What do you say, Olivia? You’re interested?”
    Olivia’s heart began pumping hard. A hundred thousand dollars was indeed a lot of money. With a little restraint, she could make it last well into the spring.
    Her throat went dry. What was she thinking? She couldn’t do what he was asking. Rigging bids was illegal. What if she got caught?
    On the table, the envelope seemed to grow thicker. Why would she get caught? All she had to do was get into her father’s office when he wasn’t there, look at the bids and call Mulligan. Who would know?
    “Olivia?”
    “I’ll have to think about it.” She wished she hadn’t answered so quickly. It was never a good idea to let others see how desperate you were, even if they sensed it.
    “Good enough.” Mulligan drained his glass. “Meanwhile, you keep the money.”
    “I can’t-”
    “Sure you can. It ain’t healthy owing money to a casino.” He gave her a heavy wink. “You never know who they might be connected to.”
    Was that a casual remark? Or a veiled threat?
    Trying to keep her hand steady, Olivia took the envelope and slid it into her purse.
    “Call me in the morning.” Mulligan gave her a knowing smile, as if he already knew what her answer would be.
    Rising, she gave him a curt nod and walked out of the lounge, feeling the contractor’s gaze cut into her back.
    Outside the casino, Olivia, feeling richer than she had in months, handed the valet attendant a five-dollar bill and slid behind the wheel of her black lexus.
    Before driving away, she glanced at her reflection in the rearview mirror, and noticed her bloodshot eyes. She’d look like hell in the morning. She always did after a losing spell.
    Well, at least now things were looking up. For one thing, her debt to the casino was paid in full. Next time she saw Charles, he would be bending over backward to please her. That was the name of the game in this town. Treated like royalty one day, like a pauper the next.
    Her gambling habit had begun innocently enough. A year ago, on a boring Sunday afternoon, a friend had taken her to Atlantic City and taught her how to play roulette. In the first hour, Olivia had won six hundred dollars.
    The win had been better than hundred-year-old brandy, better than sex. Money in hand, she had walked to one of the hotel’s numerous gift shops and spent her winnings on a pair of Charles Jourdan shoes.
    At first, Olivia had told herself that gambling was amusing, an entertaining pastime she could indulge in when nothing else seemed to excite her.
    But after a couple of months, the occasional weekend escapades became more frequent, the stakes increasingly higher, the need to gamble stronger.
    She wasn’t sure when the habit had turned into a full-blown obsession. Suddenly, she had found herself in debt to everyone she knew-her mother, her friends, even an old lover or two. Last month, in desperation, she had refinanced her Sutton Place apartment and used the equity to repay some of her debts. Except for her five shares of B&A, which were useless to her at the